Commission Picks 2 Panels for Court Vacancy

The Judicial Nominating Commission yesterday selected two panels of candidates to be considered for the upcoming Court of Criminal Appeals vacancy in the Eastern Grand Division. The opening was created by Judge Joseph Tipton’s announcement that he will not seek retention in the 2014 election. The commission named two panels because the governor has the option of rejecting the first panel of names and requesting a second panel from the JNC. Since the commission will go out of existence at the end of June, it named a second panel to be used if necessary. The first panel included Criminal Court Judge Robert H. Montgomery Jr. of Blountville, Assistant D.A. Boyd M. Patterson Jr. of Chattanooga, and Circuit Court Judge Thomas J. Wright of Greeneville. The second panel consists of Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Edward Atchley Jr. of Knoxville, and attorneys William Jackson Brown of Cleveland and Samuel K. Lee of Clinton.